SEAHAWKS NOTEBOOK

KIRKLAND - The Seattle Seahawks don't officially have a defensive coordinator and Pete Carroll is now unemployed. Does that mean that the fired New England Patriots head coach will be tapped to fill the late Fritz Shurmur's old job here?

"Any decisions I make on the coaching staff will be after we finish," Seahawks general manager-coach Mike Holmgren said Monday, the day after the Seahawks became AFC West champions and reached the play-offs for the first time since 1988. "I have not talked to Pete Carroll."

Carroll was dismissed by the Patriots on Monday after the team went 8-8 in his third season in Foxboro, Mass. Carroll was fired as coach of the New York Jets after one season in 1994.

Carroll was San Francisco's outstanding defensive coordinator in 1995 and 1996.

Seahawks linebackers coach Jim Lind handled the duties as the Seahawks defensive coordinator after Shurmur became ill last summer. Shurmur died of cancer Aug. 30. Lind followed Holmgren to Seattle from Green Bay, where he coached for four seasons as Holmgren's linebackers coach.

"Jim had the responsibility, but he did not have the title," Holmgren said. "When we set that up at the beginning of the year, after Fritz passed away, it was very clear what the guide-lines were. Jim and I understand exactly the process here. Everyone's accountable for what they do."

The Seahawks defense struggled at the end of the regular season when the team lost five of its final six games. Seattle's defense was 23rd in the NFL in total defense; 25th against the rush and 17th against the pass.

Seahawks don't feel like AFC West champs

The Seahawks got hats and T-shirts proclaiming them AFC West champs after an emotional weekend that included a demoralizing loss - and a back-door ticket to the playoffs for the first time since 1988.

Some of the players weren't sure they deserved the trophies.

"It feels good to be in the playoffs, but it would be much sweeter if we would have beaten the Jets," cornerback Willie Williams said Monday, still downcast after Sunday's loss.

Fifty minutes after the Seahawks' loss to the New York Jets, the Seahawks got a second life and a trip to the playoffs when Kansas City lost "the other game" in overtime to Oakland.

Despite losing five of their last six after an 8-2 start, the Seahawks have their second division title in franchise history.

Having an AFC West champion-ship banner on the side of their team headquarters took away some of the frustration and dis-appointment of the last six weeks.

"We cannot win a playoff game if we play like we did against the Jets," said Williams, who played in four playoffs and a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh from 1993-96.

Asked if he felt like an AFC West champion, Williams said, "Personally, I don't. We just don't have that feeling yet because we lost against the Jets."

In the Jets' game, the Seahawks' offense was hampered by a subpar Ricky Watters, who played with a brace on his sprained right knee. Watters was restricted to 30 yards on nine carries.

"I'm really excited for the whole franchise and everybody to be able to go to the playoffs," Watters said. "But when you lose five of the last six, there's got to be a bad taste in everybody's mouth.

"We have not been getting the job done," he added. "I hope everybody feels the same way. If we keep playing the way we've been playing, is it going to matter? We're going to get beat."

Watters came in early Monday morning so he could do some weight lifting to strengthen his legs. He hopes to be 100 percent by this weekend, but said he wasn't close to that in the Jets' game.

Captains elected

The Seahawks players have elected their co-captains for their first playoff run since 1988.

Coach Mike Holmgren on Monday announced the captains will be quarterback Jon Kitna and running back Ricky Watters on offense, Pro Bowl tackle Cortez Kennedy and Pro Bowl linebacker Chad Brown on defense and James Logan and Fabien Bownes on special teams.

During the regular season, Holmgren appointed his captains on a game-by-game basis.

"I started that in Green Bay," Holmgren said. "I've talked about leadership this season already. These players were chosen by their teammates. With that honor comes responsibility in my opinion. Those fellows are all different."

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